Northwest celebrates more than 1,500 graduates with advice to keep showing up

Northwest Missouri State University honored its spring graduates during four commencement ceremonies Friday and Saturday, celebrating their journeys at the institution while encouraging them to serve their professions and communities.

“In this moment, we celebrate the late nights filled with uncertainty, the early mornings filled with hope and the countless moments in between – moments when you could have given up, but you chose not to,” Northwest President Dr. Lance Tatum said. “As you leave this season of your life behind and step into the world that is unpredictable, challenging and sometimes unfair, I want to offer you this simple but powerful charge: Just show up.”

Resilience and growth develop, Tatum told the graduates, when they keep going, despite the setbacks and disappointment they will undoubtedly confront.  

“Show up when it’s messy, when your best-laid plans fail, when the timing is off or when things fall apart,” Tatum said. “Know this, life is rarely tidy. Success isn’t always a straight line. But some of your most meaningful growth will happen, not in your best moments but in the middle of the mess. That’s where innovation lives. That's where transformation begins.”

Finally, Tatum advised, show up when no ones watching and when the rewards are uncertain.

“Not every effort brings immediate success or recognition,” Tatum said. “Not every sacrifice results in praise or attainment. But that doesn’t mean the work isn't worth it. Remember, there will be times when the greatest reward isn’t the outcome. It’s the growth, the grit and the courage you cultivate along the way.”

View 2025 Spring Commencement photo gallery

Graduates by the numbers

The commencement ceremonies celebrated 1,505 students, ranging in age from 19 to 64. Northwest awarded 709 bachelor’s degrees, 655 master’s degrees and 141 education specialist degrees.

Elementary education and business management were the most common bachelor’s degrees among the graduates, and applied computer science and educational leadership for K-12 were the most common master’s degree.

Geographically, the graduates represented 42 states and territories with about 65 percent of them hailing from locations in Missouri; another 22 percent were from the surrounding states of Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska. Northwest celebrated 155 international graduates representing 17 different countries.

About Northwest Missouri State University

With an enrollment of more than 9,000 students, Northwest is a coeducational, primarily residential four-year university that offers a broad range of undergraduate and selected graduate programs on its Maryville campus and through Northwest Online.

Founded in 1905 and ranked by U.S. News and World Report among the top public regional universities in the Midwest, Northwest boasts a high retention rate and a graduation rate in the 95th percentile among its peers. Additionally, results of the Ruffalo Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory show Northwest students are more satisfied than students at national peers, and 78 percent of Northwest students report they would repeat their University experience, compared to 75 percent of students surveyed nationally at their respective institutions.

Furthermore, the University is a national model for student success and career placement with 93 percent of bachelor’s degree earners and 99 percent of master’s degree earners securing employment or continuing their education within six months of completing a degree at Northwest, according to the most recent data. 

Northwest places a high emphasis on profession-based learning to help graduates get a jumpstart on their careers while maintaining competitively low tuition rates and generous financial assistance to help minimize the financial barriers students may face when pursuing a college degree.

Students have opportunities to build their résumés with experiences on campus in nearly every area of study, including the Horace Mann Laboratory School, National Public Radio affiliate KXCV, the R.T. Wright Farm, Mozingo Outdoor Education Recreation Area,  a partnership with National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency or Knacktive, a student-driven integrated digital marketing communications agency. In conjunction with its emergency and disaster management program, Northwest organizes and hosts Missouri Hope, an annual mass casualty training exercise that attracts first responders and emergency workers from throughout the nation and provides hands-on training in preparation for a natural disaster.

The University’s vibrant and diverse learning community also offers more than 150 student organizations, and textbooks and a laptop are included in tuition, saving students an estimated $6,800 over four years. Northwest offers 1,200 student employment positions, allowing students to build professional skills through its internationally benchmarked student employment program. 

For more information about Northwest and its performance, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/aboutus/facts/.